Graham Rahal has silenced the opposition after yet another utterly dominant drive to victory in Race 2 at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, rising up from third on the grid to become the first driver to win both races at the doubleheader around the Raceway at Belle Isle Park.
Despite starting from the second row of the grid Rahal perfected another two-stop strategy, using his first pit-stop to gain significant track position.
The race ran caution free until the final handful of laps, when James Hinchcliffe suffered a mechanical failure and stopped on the track.
Moments later Spencer Pigot suffered a monumental turbo failure, dropping oil onto the track amid a massive plume of thick white smoke.
With only four laps remaining the race officials elected to red flag the race, thus enabling the Holmatro Safety Team to clear Pigot and Hinchcliffe’s car as well as clearing any fluid deposited onto the track.
This destroyed Rahal’s lead, and put all the emphasis on the restart when there would be only two green flag racing laps left.
But Rahal was supreme on the restart, opening up an impressive lead to Josef Newgarden and storming across the line to become the first repeat winner of the season.
Despite catching Rahal before the red flag delay Newgarden was unable to challenge for the lead on the restart, instead finding himself defending heavily to Penske team-mate Will Power.
Newgarden was certainly impressive throughout the 70-lap race, with the Barber race winner committing to a three-stop strategy in comparison to Rahal, Power and Takuma Sato’s two-stop strategy to finish second.
Power was forced to settle for P3 after a feisty restart from the 2014 champion, including several impressive on-track overtakes throughout the race on the likes of Mikhail Aleshin and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Pole sitter Sato could only manage P4 for Andretti Autosport, after losing the lead to Rahal during the first round of pit-stops and then a further position to Power during the second round of pit-stops.
Reigning champion Simon Pagenaud enjoyed a much more productive Race 2, coming home fifth after a much stronger day for Penske in comparison to Race 1.
Scott Dixon ended the race P6 for Chip Ganassi Racing, after his three-stop strategy failed to work in comparison to that of Newgarden’s.
Alexander Rossi and Charlie Kimball were P7 and P8 respectively, with Rossi in particular finding himself stuck in several key battles throughout the race with the likes of Dixon and team-mate Marco Andretti.
Helio Castroneves could only manage P9 for Penske, once again failing to capitalise on a strong grid position.
The Brazilian veteran made contact with Hunter-Reay during the early stages of the race, sustaining a left-rear puncture which ultimately scuppered any hope of a strong result.
Tony Kanaan rounded out the top ten for Chip Ganassi, despite incurring drive-through penalty for a pit-lane infraction after running over an air hose during his final stop.
Former Formula 1 racer Esteban Gutierrez was the last driver on the lead lap for Dale Coyne Racing in P14, after a tough introduction to IndyCar around the bumpy streets of Detroit.
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